Handlamp



G. D. GALLAGHER.

HANDLAMP.

APPLICATION FlLED JUNE 8, 1920. 1,396,828. Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- WINCHESTER BEPEATING .ARMS COMPANY, OF NEW .HA

A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

HANDLAMP.

` Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

Application led June 8, 1920. Serial No. 387,277.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, -GEORGE D. GALLAGHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Handlamps; and do hereby de- Clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The present invention relates to battery hand lamps of the .rind in which a battery and a small incandescent lamp are mounted in a casing, tog.. er with suitable switch mechanism for controlling the iiow cil current from the battery through the lamp.

The objects and advantages of the `present invention will become clear from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein one "embodiment of the present invention is described and illustrated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmental, sectional elevation of a complete hand lamp of the flat or vest pocket type; Fig.V

2 is a fragmental, longitudinal section showing the switch mechanism closed; Fig. 3 isa similar view with the switch mechanism in safety position; Fig. L1 is a plan view of the switch mechanism; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a similar section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 shows the slots cut in the. side of the metal case; and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the housing by which the push-button Contact is geve?. along the double key hole slot of ign the embodiment illustrated, the hand lamp comprises a casing 1, which may be of metal and flat, as shown. At the front end of this case, and threaded thereto, is lamp l2, the inner terminal 3 of which makes contact with the longer terminal 1 of battery 5 positioned within the case. This battery has a short, exposed terminal 6 at which the batter circuit through the lamp is con` trolled. ne of the rounded edges of case .1 is cut or punched to form guideways 7 and 8 (Fig. 7), and a tongue or finger 9 between these guideways is severed at its front edge 10 but left integral with the case at its rear end and is piished down into the position shown in Fig. 1 to serve as a resilient battery retaining finger. This linger not only positions the-battery within the case, but keeps it from rattling around. There is also provided a double key hole slot see Fig. 7) consisting of a large round opening 11, a narrower opening 12, a second large round opening 13, and a narrow bottom opening 14.

Mounted to slide along casing l is a thumb-actuated housing 15 having integral tangs 16 and 17 for engagement with'slots 7 and 8, respectively, and having an enlarged round pocket, the metal of the housing and in which are housed a push-button 18 and its coiled spring 19. The push button has a central 'stud 20,'the'lower end 21 of which of reduced cross-section to receive a tapered enlargement 22. The enlargement may. be conveniently held in position by riveting over the lower end of element 21. The pushbutton contact, so constituted, is movable by thumb pressure into and out or engagement with the exposed terminal 6 of the battery to control the flow of current from battery 5 through lamp 2, but the sliding movement of the housing and the cooperation of the double key hole slot with the enlargement on the push-button, effect new and desirable results. With the switch mechanism positioned as in Fig. 1, the enlargement of the push-but ton contact rests in the enlargement 13 Fig. 7 of the key hole slot, and the expansion et spring 19 holds this enlargement against the end face of the housing. In this position the push-button contact is not in engagement with the exposed battery terminal 6, but by thumb pressure can be pushed into engagement with that terminal, as for momentary flashing of the lamp in signaling.l

It 4continuous burning of the lamp is desired, the operator iirst depresses the pushbutton to move enlargement 22 out of locking engagement with opening 13 of the key hole slot and then with his thumb pulls backen the housing to slide it downward along the case, thereby moving enlargement 22 into the narrowed lower portion 14 of the double key hole slot, and at the same time bringing the push-button stud into continuing engagement with battery terminal 6. rlhen, if the push-button be released by removal of the thumb, the lamp will continue to burn with enlargement 22 or cup, pressed froml frictionally engaging the'inner surface of the case immediately adjacent to the lower narrow ortion 14 of the double key hole slot. T en, if the operator wishesto eX- tingu'ish the light, he can merely push forward with his thumb on housing 15 until enlargement 22 snaps into the enlarged portion 13 of the slot, thereby opening the circuit at Contact 6.

But in addition to being able to Hash the lamp, as in signaling, and to burn the lamp continuously without continuing thumb pressure on the button, the present device has the advantage that the switch mechanism can be put in such condition that inadvertent lightingl of the lamp, as when the lamp ise being shipped or carried about, is, in large measure, avoided. To move the switch mechanism to safety position, it is necessary to depress the thumb button, thereby disengaging enlargement 22 from thepart of the slot marked 18 in Fig. 7, and to push the housing forward along the case until the enlargement snaps yinto the enlar ed portion 11 of the double key hole slot. attery terminal 6 is so positioned with respect to the key hole slot, that when enlargement-22 is in opening 11, it will be beyond the end of l terminal 6. Under these conditions, thumb pressure on button 18 will not close the circuit, because stud 21 Vvrillnot touch battery terminal t.v Furthermore, backward sliding movement of the housing is pre.

vented because of the locking engagement between enlargement 22 and theopening 11. Therefore, to change the switch mechanism from this safety position to one in which the lamp can be lighted, it is necessary, first, to

depress the push-button and then to pull back on the housing until enlargement 22 snaps again into opening 13. So complex a manipulation is not likely to happen acci. dentally, and the lamp; can readily be shipped or carried about with its battery in position,j and//vithout danger of accidentally burning the lamp to no useful purpose.

Although the embodiment illustrated in the drawing and above described is of the flat or vest pocket type, it will be understood that contemplate such changes in arrangement and in detail asare reasonably within the scope of my invention, as defined by the appended claims.

l claimzl. ln a battery hand lamp, the combina- 'tion xor a battery case, a housing mounted slots, and a spring and spring pressed pushbutton contact movable along said case with said housing, substantially as described.

3. In a battery hand lamp, the combination of'a battery case having a slot, a housing mountedv to slide longitudinally along said case and a spring and spring pressed push-button contact carried by said housing and movable along ,said slot, substantially as described.

4. 1n a battery hand lamp, the "combination of a battery case having a longitudinal key hole slot, a battery therein having an eX- posed terminal, a housing mounted to slide longitudinally along said case, a spring and a spring pressed push-button contact carried by said housing and movable along said slot intoand out of engagement `with said eX- posed battery terminal. n

5. In a battery hand lamp, the combination of a battery case having a longitudinal keyhole slot, a battery therein having an exposed terminal, a housing mounted to slide longitudinally along said case, a spring vtudianl key hole slot, a battery within said case having an exposed terminal, a housing mounted to slide along said case, a spring pressed push-button contact carried by said housing and movable along said slot, said push-button contact having an enlargement engageable with either enlarged portion of the double key hole slot to prevent sliding movement of said housing exceptwnen said pushbutton contact is manually depressed.

7. ln a battery hand lamp, the combination of a battery case having a double longitudinal key hole slot, a battery therein having an exposed terminal, a housing mounted to slide along said case, a spring pressed push-button contact carried by said housing and movable in said slot, said pushbutton contact having an enlargement preventing sliding movement of said housing except when said push-button conta-ct is depressed, said enlargement being adapted to engage beneath the narrow end of said slot when continuing contact with the exposed battery terminal is desired.

8. lin a battery hand lamp, the combination of a metal battery case, a housing mounted to slide thereon and a resilient, battery-positioning nger stamped from said case beneath said sliding housing, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof l atlix my signature.

GEURGE D. GALLAGHER. 

